Garret

As a young entrepreneur, I can tell you that you do not need to be 18 years old to start your own business or start your on the job entrepreneurial training. This is something that kids need to understand and it is a good idea to tell them and an great message actually.

Kids are not stupid, they just need a little mentorship and guidance. In fact, currently I am in training to ride across America to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes for awareness. Kids need answers and we need not make them fat, dumb and happy like all the overweight parents.

We also need to teach encourage kids to also give back to their communities and rather than asking the parents for money for their sports teams, I am going to allow those groups to sell pledges for my bike ride and keep the money for the groups they are involved with. This will help the kids realize that you also need to give back as you grow; it is indeed, a fundamental principle of entrepreneurship.

Kids believe that if they are under 18 they have to go work for low-wages. It just is not so, they can run their own businesses instead. Of course, there is an upside to that too? You can learn how to run a business by watching how companies do it and learn about customer service, management, training, marketing, branding and sales too.

So, a smart person in a $7.00 per hour job should be steadily observing how things are done, so as their business grows they can go to the next step. Of course in saying all this, you know I am smiling here, because I totally agree with all those young entrepreneurs who are now grown up and want to give back and mentor the next generation.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur http://www.worldthinktank.net . Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.